Corruption in India, Can we curb it?

Corruption in India…… Can we curb it?? Way back in 200 B. C. , Kautilya meticulously described 40 different kinds of corruption in his Arthashastra. He aptly commented: “Just as it is impossible not to taste honey or poison when it is at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up a bit of revenue. And Just as it cannot be found out whether a fish swimming through water drinks or not so also government servants cannot be found out while taking money for themselves. What exactly is corruption? Corruption s defined as moral depravity and influencing through bribery. Essentially, corruption is the abuse of trust in the interest of private gain. Corruption in India is a major issue that adversely affects its economy. A study conducted by Transparency International in year 2005 found that more than 62% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get Jobs done in public offices successfully.

In 2012 as well as 2013, India has ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Most of the largest ources of corruption in India are entitlement programmes and social spending schemes enacted by the Indian government. (Examples include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and National Rural Health Mission. ) Other daily sources of corruption include India’s trucking industry which is forced to pay billions in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on its interstate highways.

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The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated taxes and licensing systems, numerous government departments each ith opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly by government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes. There are significant variations in level of corruption as well as in state government efforts to reduce corruption across India. It is not difficult to locate the causes of corruption. Corruption breeds at the top and then gradually filters down to the lower levels.

Gone are the days when people who Joined politics did so, with the spirit of serving the nation. Those who plunged themselves into the freedom struggle knew that there were only sacrifices to be made, no return was expected. So only the selfless people came forward. But modern politicians are an entirely different breed. They are not motivated by any lofty ideals. They win elections at a huge personal cost and then try to make profits from the opportunity they get. Powerful business magnates who are forced to give huge donations to political parties indulge in corrupt practices to more than make up their losses.

When eople in power indulge in corruption so unabashedly, the common man gets a kind of sanction. Ironically, instead of fghting against the menace of corruption, our political leaders declare it a worldwide phenomenon and accept it as something inevitable. As early as 1000 BC, the laws of Manu laid down that corrupt officials who accepted bribes from people were to be banished and their property seized. Condemnation of bribery, greed, misappropriation of property has been a norm in Indian society throughout the ages and yet corruption is deep-rooted in India today. tnessed when people took to the streets to support activist, Anna Hazare as he fasted in protest against the Government’s policies. He demanded the implementation of the Lokpal bill that will appoint a Lokpal, a committee, to probe officials indulging in corrupt practices at both state and central level. All over India, there was immense support for Hazare and the Government was forced to relent. The results of the recent Delhi polls have also made it clear that people are now fed up of the existing political scenario and hope that Arvind KeJriwal and his Aam Aadmi

Party will revolutionise Indian politics and give the Government a new face. Stringent actions must be taken to ensure that corruption is reduced. Since the government itself is involved in scams like 26 spectrum scam, Commonwealth scam, Adarsh Housing scam, Coal mining scam, etc, the citizens and the statutory bodies must take initiative to curb this malpractice. People are protesting against corruption through citizen-created websites and other social media and of course India Against Corruption Movement.

A major hurdle is the slow working Judiciary that takes time to ronounce any conviction in most corruption charges. Setting up of strict laws and enforcement of these laws will help the fght against corruption. There are bodies like CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) to look into cases of officials getting involved in corruption. These should act independently of government control to bring in effective results. Research indicates that India can control corruption by training its civil servants to a more professional level with skills in auditing, accountancy, and legal matters.

If this step would have been taken at the time of liberalization, the scenario could have been much different as oversight and scrutiny from within the administration would have increased. Moreover, there would have been a greater understanding and respect of administrative procedures, thereby reducing corruption and increasing development in India. The nation’s reputation and the future of the youth are at stake and it is the responsibility of the politicians, bureaucrats and us common people to pave the path for the countrys bright future.